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UPhawuli E-Efesu
1 Kwathi u-Apholo eseKhorinte uPhawuli wathatha indlela ehamba phakathi kwelizwe waze wayafika e-Efesu. Khonapho wafumana abafundi abathile, 2 wababuza wathi, “Lamamukela na uMoya oNgcwele ngesikhathi liqalisa ukukholwa?”
Baphendula bathi, “Hatshi, kasizwanga lokuzwa ukuthi kuloMoya oNgcwele.”
3 Ngakho uPhawuli wasebuza wathi, “Pho lathola luphi ubhaphathizo?”
Baphendula bathi, “Ubhaphathizo lukaJohane.”
4 UPhawuli wathi, “Ubhaphathizo lukaJohane lwalulubhaphathizo lokuphenduka. Watshela abantu ukuthi bakholwe kulowo owayezakuza ngemva kwakhe, esitsho ukuthi kuJesu.” 5 Sebekuzwile lokhu babhaphathizelwa ebizweni leNkosi uJesu. 6 UPhawuli esebeke izandla zakhe phezu kwabo uMoya oNgcwele wehlela kubo, bakhuluma ngendimi njalo baphrofitha. 7 Babengamadoda ayengaba litshumi lambili bebonke.
8 UPhawuli wangena esinagogweni wakhuluma ngesibindi khona okwezinyanga ezintathu, echaza okusuthisayo ngombuso kaNkulunkulu. 9 Kodwa abanye babo baba yiziqholo; bala ukukholwa, bakhuluma kubi obala ngeNdlela. Ngakho uPhawuli wabatshiya. Wathatha abafundi wasuka wayahlangana labo baxoxisana nsuku zonke esikolweni sikaThiranu. 10 Lokhu kwaqhubeka okweminyaka emibili, kwaze kwathi wonke amaJuda lamaGrikhi ayehlala kulesosifunda sase-Ezhiya alizwa ilizwi leNkosi.
11 UNkulunkulu wenza imimangaliso engajayelekanga ngoPhawuli, 12 izifinyo lamathawulo okwakuthintiswe kuye kwakusiwa kwabagulayo bahle basile emikhuhlaneni yabo lemimoya emibi iphume kubo.
13 Amanye amaJuda ayebhoda exotsha imimoya emibi azama ukubiza ibizo leNkosi uJesu kulabo ababelamadimoni. Ayesithi, “Ngebizo likaJesu uPhawuli atshumayela ngaye, ngikulaya ukuthi uphume.” 14 Ababesenza lokhu ngamadodana ayisikhombisa kaSkeva umphristi omkhulu wamaJuda. 15 Kwelinye ilanga umoya omubi waphendula wathi, “UJesu ngiyamazi, loPhawuli ngiyamazi, kodwa lina lingobani na?” 16 Kwasekusithi indoda eyayilomoya omubi yabeqela, yabehlula bonke. Yabatshaya okuzwayo baze baphuma endlini bebaleka benqunu njalo besopha igazi.
17 Kwathi lokhu sekuzwakele kumaJuda lamaGrikhi ayehlala e-Efesu, onke ethuka ngokwesaba, ibizo leNkosi uJesu laselihlonitshwa kakhulu. 18 Abanengi balabo abasebekholwa beza baphumela egcekeni, bevuma iziphambeko zabo. 19 Abanengi ababehlahlula baletha ndawonye imiqulu yabo bayitshisa obala. Bathi sebehlolile izindleko zaleyomiqulu kwabonakala kungaba ngamadrakhima azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amahlanu. 20 Ngaleyondlela ilizwi leNkosi landa kabanzi njalo lakhula laba lamandla.
21 Ngemva kwakho konke lokhu sekwenzakele, uPhawuli wazimisela ukuya eJerusalema, ezadlula eMasedoniya lase-Akhayiya. Wathi, “Nxa sengike ngaya khona, kuzamele ngethekelele laseRoma.” 22 Wathuma ababili abasizi bakhe eMasedoniya, uThimothi lo-Erastu, yena esasele okwesikhatshana esifundeni sase-Ezhiya.
Isiyaluyalu E-Efesu
23 Ngalesosikhathi kwaba lokudungeka okukhulu ngeNdlela. 24 Umkhandi wesiliva owayethiwa nguDemetriyasi owayesenza izikhonzelo zokukhonzela u-Athemisi ngesiliva, wayengenisa imali ezwayo kubakhandi. 25 Wababizela ndawonye kanye lezinye izisebenzi zemisebenzi efananayo wathi kubo, “Madoda, liyakwazi ukuthi sizuza imali enengi ngomsebenzi lo. 26 Liyabona njalo liyezwa ukuthi uPhawuli lo usenze abantu abanengi bakholwa njalo uzadukisa abantu abanengi lapha e-Efesu lakuso sonke isifunda sase-Ezhiya. Uthi yena onkulunkulu ababunjwe ngumuntu kabasibo onkulunkulu lakancinyane. 27 Kulengozi-ke yokuthi kakuyikuba ngumsebenzi wethu kuphela ozalahlekelwa libizo lawo elihle, kodwa lethempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu u-Athemisi lizadunyazwa, laye unkulunkulukazi ngokwakhe, yena okhonzwa kusosonke isifunda sase-Ezhiya lasemhlabeni wonke, uzakwemukwa ubukhosi bakhe.”
28 Bathi bekuzwa lokhu bafuthelana ngokuzonda, bahle bamemeza besithi, “Mkhulu u-Athemisi wama-Efesu!” 29 Masinyane nje idolobho lonke laphithizela. Abantu badumela uGayiyasi lo-Aristakhasi ababe ngabaphelekezeli bakaPhawuli, bengabeMasedoniya, babahudulela enkundleni yemidlalo bonke bayakuthi cwi khona. 30 UPhawuli wayefuna ukuzithela emphakathini, kodwa abafundi bamalela. 31 Labanye abaphathi besifunda, ababengabangane bakaPhawuli, labo bamthumela ilizwi bathi angaqali ukuyavela enkundleni yemidlalo.
32 Kwakungasaqondakali enkundleni: Abanye babeklabalala besitsho lokhu, abanye labo besitsho okunye. Abantu abanengi babevele bengazi lokuthi babelandeni lapho. 33 AmaJuda afuqela u-Alekizanda phambili esithi kawakhulumele. Waphakamisa isandla ukuwathulisa ukuze achasise kuhle indaba ebantwini. 34 Kodwa athi ngokunanzelela ukuthi wayengumJuda, onke ahlaba umkhosi kanyekanye okwaphose kwathatha amahola amabili, besithi, “Mkhulu u-Athemisi wama-Efesu!”
35 Unobhala wedolobho walithulisa ixuku wathi, “Madoda ase-Efesu, akusikho yini ukuthi umhlaba wonke uyakwazi ukuthi idolobho lase-Efesu yilo elingumlondolozi wethempeli lika-Athemisi omkhulu, kanye lomfanekiso wakhe owehla uvela ezulwini? 36 Pho-ke njengoba lokhu kuyinto engaphikiswayo, thulani lingenzi izinto zamawala. 37 Selilethe amadoda la lapha, kodwa wona engagqekezanga emathempelini kumbe athuka unkulunkulukazi wethu. 38 Ngakho nxa uDemetriyasi lalabo akhanda labo belensolo loba ngobani, imithethwandaba ivuliwe, njalo labahluleli bakhona. Bangamangala. 39 Nxa kukhona njalo okunye elifuna ukukutsho, kakuyethoniswa ngomthetho enkundleni. 40 Njengoba kunje nje sisengozini yokubekwa icala lokuvusa isiyaluyalu ngenxa yezehlakalo zalamuhla. Kungenzeka lokho sizakwehluleka ukuchaza imbangela yalesisiphithiphithi, ngoba ngempela kungekho sizatho.” 41 Eqeda kukhuluma lokhu, wawuchitha umhlangano.